Graduating Class of 2005

The graduation ceremony for students who completed their studies in 2004 was held on 12 April 2005. A total of 27 students graduated - 17 undergraduates and 10 postgraduate students. A milestone was also recorded at this event with the graduation from the UNSW Kensington campus of the 1000th Mining Engineer. May there be many more to follow. Needless to say given the state of the mining industry and the current shortage of professionals, all the graduates have been firmly entrenched in their new role as graduate engineers for several months.

Most of the graduates had job offers several times over from the competing companies and this is likely to continue for the next few years. Following the formal ceremony in the Clancy Auditorium, the graduates, their family and friends and academic staff met in the Naked Lady Garden for an informal chat and the prize-giving ceremony. Current undergraduate students volunteered with catering arrangements to make it a memorable occasion. It is understood the celebrations kicked on later with a gathering of graduates and staff at a local eatery. The list of postgraduate graduands included Boyun Xu, Master of Engineering; David Clark and Ian McDonald, Master of Engineering Science in Geomechanics and Mining Industry Management respectively; and, Robert Bull, Graduate Diploma in Mine Ventilation. It is worth highlighting that The University Medal was awarded to Emily McPherson. Emily becomes the tenth recipient (and the third female recipient) of the Medal in the School.

At the ceremony, Professor Hebblewhite presented prizes for academic excellence to the following students.

    * The WMC Melbourne Prize for best overall performance in the mining engineering program and the WMC Perth Prize for best overall performance in the final year of the mining engineering program were awarded to Emily McPherson
    * The Stan Sawyer Prize for the best Honours thesis on a topic related to coal mining was awarded to Boyd Buschmann
    * The Mitsubishi Prize for the best overall performance related to coal mine planning was awarded to Michael Yelf
    * The WMC Perth Prize for best overall performance in the third year of the mining engineering program was awarded to John Najor
    * The inaugural Roxborough Prize for the best academic achievement in the first year mining engineering course was awarded to Richard Gelson. Emeritus Professor Frank Roxborough personally presented the award to Richard

Congratulations to all the prize winners and to all the graduates on completing their studies. Staff in the School wish the students the best as they begin their professional careers as Mining Engineers.
Also present at the prize-giving was Mr Tetsuro Terada (CEO) and Senior Executives from Mitsubishi Development Pty Ltd (MDP). Mr Terada presented the 2004 Mitsubishi Prize to Michael Yelf.

Professor Hebblewhite was pleased to announce that following the ceremony MDP were to sign an endowment fund agreement with UNSW that would provide $500,000 over the next five years. The purpose of the endowment fund was to assist with mining education in the School.

Paul Hagan
13 April 2005